Mercedes AMG has released details of an all-new 503bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that will help fill the void when the production of its normally aspirated 6.2-litre V8 ends.
Lightweight, compact and more efficient than the big 6.2-litre it replaces, the new smaller capacity turbocharged V8 produces 479lb ft from just 1750rpm.
The first car to receive the new engine will be the Porsche 911-rivalling Mercedes AMG GT, but other smaller cars like the C63 AMG are also set to benefit from its compact design. Placing the two turbos within the ‘V’, the new engine will fit most Mercedes engine bays. Helping it sit lower in the engine bay is dry-sump lubrication – something you normally expect in a supercar.
Mercedes says it has developed the new V8 from the 2.0-litre turbo that powers the likes of the A45 AMG (both engines have identical bore and stroke, plus direct injection.) In an era of downsizing due to emissions, the decision to stick with the V8 is at stark contract to BMW who recently returned to straight-six engines (also turbocharged) for its M3 and M4.
Other new technology for the new AMG V8, it’s claimed is a clever way of controlling the quality and level of sound emitted from the sports exhausts thanks to variable exhaust flaps on each silencer. This, Mercedes, says has significant comfort benefits on a long journey.
Finally, thanks to its low weight (Mercedes says it’s lightest in class) and fuel-saving tech, it should average 28.8mpg in its first application in the AMG GT.
A lower, 462bhp version of the same 4.0-litre twin-turbo will also be available.